adidas will commence selling a selection of its remaining YEEZY collection from the end of May 2023, a line that has been dormant since the termination of the YEEZY partnership in October 2022. This collection will be available exclusively via adidas.com/yeezy and the adidas CONFIRMED app, with a significant proportion of the proceeds directed towards anti-discrimination organizations.
adidas’s bold decision signifies the company’s first consumer-oriented action regarding YEEZY products since their controversial partnership was terminated. The forthcoming product offerings will encompass both existing designs and those initiated during 2022, destined for the 2023 market. Despite uncertainty surrounding additional releases from the current inventory, adidas’s latest move does not disrupt its financial guidance for 2023.
Post the YEEZY partnership dissolution, adidas has been meticulously strategizing the optimal use of the remaining YEEZY inventory. This process included collecting feedback from a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, including employees, organizations, communities, and consumers. adidas’s decision to proceed with production orders already committed pre-termination was a strategic move to shield its supply chain partners from the potential adverse impacts of cancellations.
Bjørn Gulden, adidas CEO, explained, “After careful consideration, we have decided to begin releasing some of the remaining adidas YEEZY products. Selling and donating was the preferred option among all organizations and stakeholders we spoke to. We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes, it works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities. There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it”.
Among the beneficiaries of this initiative will be organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, hailed adidas’s actions, stating, “At a time when antisemitism has reached historic levels in the U.S. and is rising globally, we appreciate how adidas turned a negative situation into a very positive outcome. They have shown real thoughtfulness in engaging with community organizations working to combat this pernicious and stubborn hatred”.
adidas is also teaming up with the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, to sponsor community programs promoting sport and education. Adidas is, thus, working to create a lasting legacy, illustrating their investment in battling prejudice and hate.
The company has extended an invitation to organizations interested in proposing projects that combat discrimination and hate via sports. They can express their interest by reaching out to changinglivesthroughsport@adidas.com.
